Railroad rails.

[bigdeano]

If you had 4 rails they would work nicely by putting 2 rails on each side, one above the other, and welding spacers between to make a beam a couple feet high. The more the space between the more load it will carry.

 

[yomax4]

Telephone Poles work very well on my 20' span.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Sounds like your best bet is to take the rails in for scrap and buy some other materals.

Sometimes you can get electrical poles for free if the utility is replacing them. They of course have a limit too.

I don't know how it is in other areas but I was told that we can't take in rails for scrap here because they don't want idiots ripping up the tracks for the scrap money like they do with the copper wires. My friend was cleaning up his parents place after his father passed away and his father hoarded scrap metal. The scrap yard he was sending it to wouldn't take the rail and that was the reason he gave me.

 

[medic0648]

I'd be making some good ballast for the tractor with them since you can't scrap them. RR ties are good. Also a container or flatbed trailer.

 

[CNC Dan]

I don't know how it is in other areas but I was told that we can't take in rails for scrap here because they don't want idiots ripping up the tracks for the scrap money like they do with the copper wires. My friend was cleaning up his parents place after his father passed away and his father hoarded scrap metal. The scrap yard he was sending it to wouldn't take the rail and that was the reason he gave me.

Cut it into small sections and sell it. People love rails for small anvils.

 

[rsallen]

If you take rail in for scrap you best have **** good proof you've bought and paid for them.

In this part of the world any respectable yard will be calling the company store before you can get it unloaded.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Cut it into small sections and sell it. People love rails for small anvils.

They used some in the back of their trucks for extra weight during winter. I have a small piece from my father that I use as a portable anvil. I'd love to find a large anvil at an affordable price someday to keep in the shop.

 

[cqaigy2]

Cut it into small sections and sell it. People love rails for small anvils.

Yes, they make great little anvils:thumbsup:

 

[SPIKER]

Yes, they make great little anvils:thumbsup:

I have a 18" section that was at the farm when I bought it, it is cut at 50~60 degrees on one end and 90 on the other end that I use regularly for anvil... one day may get old Steel Wheel and Pipe to raise it up a few feet, for now it just is moved and set wherever it will be the most inconvenience, easiest to kick & trip over lol. " :/

FYI the scrap yards around here also will NOT take it if they see it in the trailer for same reasons. I know cutting them can be a pain too. The outer surfaces are work hardened on top from steel wheels and inner core can have slag (most rails are pretty old if you got them free-ish.) There was a whole industry built up around scrap rails as well. They re-heat & split them down by running them thru linear cutters and turning them into T fence posts out the other side of plant. Why some fence posts bent easy and others you could not touch without them snapping in half.

Mark

 

[jkis]

when i was young, they used railway line for cattle yards ect, some people made gantry's to remove motors ect, did hear of 1 gantry that after being used to lift a heavy car motor, collapsed during the week, it was fractured, they used it for fence posts on bush blocks, so fires wouldn't burn them out, did hear of 1 post that was on the ground when they came back to put the wire in, it was also fractured, i'd use it for anvils or posts, not something i relied on for safety.
cheers stuart